Skyrim Too Dark?

"o" face · 12-04-2011, 03:00 AM

Does anyone else think Skyrim is too dark? I think Skyrim may be headed for the $18.95 bin. The "feel" fit for Fallout 3 and New Vegas but won't work as well for Skyrim IMO. Oblivion had a cheeriness to it and I think that was one of the factors that caused us to want to spend so much time in-world. I don't want to do that with Skyrim. The story is convoluted and perhaps less is better when it comes to NPC dialog. The dialog in Skyrim got old fast. I hope Bethesda dumps the Fallout 3 look. It isn't appropriate for a medieval fantasy game. The coolest thing about Skyrim are the spell and combat effects. The audio is all around awesome. The music leans towards the melancholy compared to Oblivion and I find myself shutting it off quite a bit. Skyrim is revolutionary but I'm not sure I'll want to spend as much time there as I did with Oblivion. Conclusion: Dump the Fallout 3 look and melancholy theme. Had this game retained Oblivion's feel it would have been close to perfect I think.

kara_bulut · 12-04-2011, 03:04 AM

Fallout 3 didn't have Dragons.

Capn Tucker · 12-04-2011, 03:11 AM

Skyrim IS a cold, dark and dreary place. I think they nailed the "feel" of the place pretty well. Plot could be better, but overall I'm pleased with it. And I'm sure there will be several DLC's (or maybe if we're lucky an expansion pack) to flesh out the story a bit more..

lobbotekka2019 · 12-04-2011, 03:17 AM

Solstheim in Morrowind is a lot like Skyrim. I liked the feel and look of Oblivion but I got bored of Oblivion much quicker than Morrowind and I doubt I will be bored of Skyrim so easily. I just hope the DLCs are worth while because they will be the first DLCs for any game I will ever buy. I hate DLCs. I also look forward to the mod community for some great quest updates etc.

"o" face · 12-04-2011, 04:00 AM

You guys made some good points. I guess it's a matter of preferences then. Admittedly the soothing Oblivion music and upbeat world was a pick-me-up for me, on top of it being one of the best games ever. You mentioned Morrowind (I never played) and I remember some posters commenting that they liked the soundtrack better than Oblivion's. So I guess it's a bit of nostalgia playing in here

I suppose the marketplace will tell in time.

Tellic · 12-04-2011, 05:16 AM

I don't think the story/NPCs/style is too dark.

But I did think the graphics were too dreary. I'm in the UK in November, and if I want to see leafless trees and grey scenery, I can just look out the damn window

So the one mod I do use is the FXAA Post Process Injector to saturate the colours. Aside from more colourful graphics, objects and scenery just look much sharper and detailed.

I know its just a matter of taste, and some people like the wintery feel of Skyrim, but as I said, I already live in the grim north....

AimHere · 12-04-2011, 05:18 AM

My only problem with it being dark is after my character's face getting blasted full of flames from a dragon up close. It darken and disorient the whole screen.

It makes sense yes, but kind of annoying. The rest of the game's coloring and lighting is fine though.

Zefar · 12-04-2011, 05:24 AM

Wait, SPELLS are the best thing about the game? :/ The game has a very bare basic selection of spells that are boring and not unique. This is about attack spells then.

I don't really find Skyrim too dark except in some dungeons. But then I can often just pick up a torch and it lights up everything or put up a magelight.

AimHere · 12-04-2011, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zefar

Wait, SPELLS are the best thing about the game? :/ The game has a very bare basic selection of spells that are boring and not unique. This is about attack spells then.

I don't really find Skyrim too dark except in some dungeons. But then I can often just pick up a torch and it lights up everything or put up a magelight.

Agree on the spells. I thought we would be getting at least the same range of spells just like Oblivion, if not even more...

frost b1te · 12-04-2011, 05:27 AM

Average Fallout feeling: "Oh god, everything's terrible! How can anyone live in this godforsaken place!?" *Drinks beer and sobs*

Average Skyrim feeling: Snow? Thalmor? A civil war? Well that's not very ni- OH GOD BUTTERFLIES AND DRAGONS! HAPPY FANTASY STUFF EVERYWHERE! In other words, the happy stuff overwhelms dark stuff in skyrim.

KleyMEN · 12-04-2011, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zefar

I don't really find Skyrim too dark except in some dungeons. But then I can often just pick up a torch and it lights up everything or put up a magelight.

By dark I think OP meant the game's feeling and not the "low brightness".

teromous · 12-04-2011, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KleyMEN

By dark I think OP meant the game's feeling and not the "low brightness".

I think he just read the title and passed over the actual post. I agree that Skyrim is very dark. The intro really sets the tone for the game, when they actually chop the guys head off right there in front of you. I remember waiting for somebody to come in and rescue the guy, and then thinking "holy ♥♥♥♥" when you see the head roll off. They did a very good job of setting the mood of the game.

I disagree with your statement that they should dump this feeling in the game. It's the frozen north, and the land is torn from war. It may not provide you with the same feeling that games like Morrowind or Oblivion did, but that's because things are different now.

Zefar · 12-04-2011, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KleyMEN

By dark I think OP meant the game's feeling and not the "low brightness".

If he means that type of dark then it's still not that gruesome. Diablo 3 does it better. Everything there goes wrong in a way.

Here it just seems that the world has some problems with various things but nothing major. They have bigger problems with Bandits than actually boss enemies.

Oblivion was a bit more happy due to plenty of green forests and green land.

But I don't really find this game to be that dark.

jTF3AD · 12-04-2011, 07:40 AM

OP must live in florida or some subtropical climate. TO me, the snowy, autumnal scenes are beautiful and even more gorgeous in the night. Skyrim is the complete antithesis to fo3 in terms of the mood of the game. Actually, oblivion is a better contrast to fo3.

only thing about skyrim that I dislike is the music. I found myself turning it off after a few hours of gameplay. Waiting for a mod that replaces skyrim's music with oblivions.

Skelter92 · 12-04-2011, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zefar

If he means that type of dark then it's still not that gruesome. Diablo 3 does it better. Everything there goes wrong in a way.

Here it just seems that the world has some problems with various things but nothing major. They have bigger problems with Bandits than actually boss enemies.

Oblivion was a bit more happy due to plenty of green forests and green land.

But I don't really find this game to be that dark.

Have to mention Witcher 2. Dark fantasy game so you know it's darker and incredibly well told.

12-04-2011, 03:00 AM	#1
"o" face Join Date: Dec 2011 Reputation: 0 Posts: 10	Skyrim Too Dark? Does anyone else think Skyrim is too dark? I think Skyrim may be headed for the $18.95 bin. The "feel" fit for Fallout 3 and New Vegas but won't work as well for Skyrim IMO. Oblivion had a cheeriness to it and I think that was one of the factors that caused us to want to spend so much time in-world. I don't want to do that with Skyrim. The story is convoluted and perhaps less is better when it comes to NPC dialog. The dialog in Skyrim got old fast. I hope Bethesda dumps the Fallout 3 look. It isn't appropriate for a medieval fantasy game. The coolest thing about Skyrim are the spell and combat effects. The audio is all around awesome. The music leans towards the melancholy compared to Oblivion and I find myself shutting it off quite a bit. Skyrim is revolutionary but I'm not sure I'll want to spend as much time there as I did with Oblivion. Conclusion: Dump the Fallout 3 look and melancholy theme. Had this game retained Oblivion's feel it would have been close to perfect I think.

12-04-2011, 05:24 AM	#8
Zefar Volunteer Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Reputation: 4033 Posts: 28,045	Wait, SPELLS are the best thing about the game? :/ The game has a very bare basic selection of spells that are boring and not unique. This is about attack spells then. I don't really find Skyrim too dark except in some dungeons. But then I can often just pick up a torch and it lights up everything or put up a magelight. __________________ Information on VAC and our Steam forum rules. Please follow the rules, it ain't hard.

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12-04-2011, 03:04 AM	#2
kara_bulut Join Date: May 2008 Reputation: 708 Posts: 7,088	Fallout 3 didn't have Dragons.

12-04-2011, 03:11 AM	#3
Capn Tucker Join Date: Sep 2011 Reputation: 43 Posts: 788	Skyrim IS a cold, dark and dreary place. I think they nailed the "feel" of the place pretty well. Plot could be better, but overall I'm pleased with it. And I'm sure there will be several DLC's (or maybe if we're lucky an expansion pack) to flesh out the story a bit more..

12-04-2011, 03:17 AM	#4
lobbotekka2019 Join Date: Nov 2011 Reputation: 9 Posts: 232	Solstheim in Morrowind is a lot like Skyrim. I liked the feel and look of Oblivion but I got bored of Oblivion much quicker than Morrowind and I doubt I will be bored of Skyrim so easily. I just hope the DLCs are worth while because they will be the first DLCs for any game I will ever buy. I hate DLCs. I also look forward to the mod community for some great quest updates etc.

12-04-2011, 04:00 AM	#5
"o" face Join Date: Dec 2011 Reputation: 0 Posts: 10	You guys made some good points. I guess it's a matter of preferences then. Admittedly the soothing Oblivion music and upbeat world was a pick-me-up for me, on top of it being one of the best games ever. You mentioned Morrowind (I never played) and I remember some posters commenting that they liked the soundtrack better than Oblivion's. So I guess it's a bit of nostalgia playing in here I suppose the marketplace will tell in time.

12-04-2011, 05:16 AM	#6
Tellic Join Date: Oct 2009 Reputation: 0 Posts: 44	I don't think the story/NPCs/style is too dark. But I did think the graphics were too dreary. I'm in the UK in November, and if I want to see leafless trees and grey scenery, I can just look out the damn window So the one mod I do use is the FXAA Post Process Injector to saturate the colours. Aside from more colourful graphics, objects and scenery just look much sharper and detailed. I know its just a matter of taste, and some people like the wintery feel of Skyrim, but as I said, I already live in the grim north....

12-04-2011, 05:18 AM	#7
AimHere Banned Join Date: Sep 2010 Reputation: 263 Posts: 2,767	My only problem with it being dark is after my character's face getting blasted full of flames from a dragon up close. It darken and disorient the whole screen. It makes sense yes, but kind of annoying. The rest of the game's coloring and lighting is fine though.

12-04-2011, 05:27 AM	#10
frost b1te Join Date: Oct 2010 Reputation: 422 Posts: 3,167	Average Fallout feeling: "Oh god, everything's terrible! How can anyone live in this godforsaken place!?" Drinks beer and sobs Average Skyrim feeling: Snow? Thalmor? A civil war? Well that's not very ni- OH GOD BUTTERFLIES AND DRAGONS! HAPPY FANTASY STUFF EVERYWHERE! In other words, the happy stuff overwhelms dark stuff in skyrim.

12-04-2011, 07:40 AM	#14
jTF3AD Banned Join Date: May 2011 Reputation: 0 Posts: 14	OP must live in florida or some subtropical climate. TO me, the snowy, autumnal scenes are beautiful and even more gorgeous in the night. Skyrim is the complete antithesis to fo3 in terms of the mood of the game. Actually, oblivion is a better contrast to fo3. only thing about skyrim that I dislike is the music. I found myself turning it off after a few hours of gameplay. Waiting for a mod that replaces skyrim's music with oblivions.